The Story of This Life

Like most mothers, I dream of a nice future for my son. Back then, even if I know I am good at crafting ( I crochet, I self learned how to bake, I make candles, I make souvenirs for life events and beaded accessories like bracelets etc), I really don’t know what to do to monetize my products dependably. I always have this mentality to learn things while I can and when I can. After all, I am a student of life, forever. And would believe that if you really pray hard, God would get tired of listening to you that he’d give you what you’re asking so just you’d shut up! I asked God to give me a business that I love & that it can help me (financially most of all!) and help others. And that he should give me people to help me how to go about it as well!

I got interested in soaps. I guess, when you’re done making candles, the next would be making soaps. I asked my father if he knows any seminars in Cebu that teaches how to make soap bars. But my father discouraged me, saying my soap would not have a chance in selling because of the hundreds of soaps available in the market.

But I am always stubborn, they say. I kept on searching on the internet on ways to learn how to make soaps! There was really no seminars back then in Cebu for soap bar making, only for powder detergent soaps. Until I came to know a facebook friend from Luzon. I added her up because she’s making rosaries for a mission. She gives them out for free.

Until one day, I learned that she’s already making beauty soap bars! The good thing is, when I asked her where she learned it, she also referred me to her trainor in Manila. And so I rode my first plane!

I noticed that in the market, some soaps are really not that safe on skin. They make that stinging, burning feeling on your skin. It’s because some ingredient are not properly prepared. Some also don’t really use safe and organic ingredients as what they claim but use unsafe chemicals that can cause cancer like Titanium Dioxide to preserve the scent & color. There are some that are made in Cebu but they lack variety. Some are a bit effective but they cost high because they are either shipped from Luzon or outside of the country or marketed by these MLM’s.

I so I decided to give it a try. My father became excited at the thought of it! I kept praying to God to give me people along my way that can point me in the right direction or help me. HE never failed me so far, it has always been a Divine Intervention for me as our Dean in this Kapatid Mentor Me program, Sir Nonoy have said.

And so I named my beauty soap line Arella Beauty Essentials. Arella is a Hebrew name for Angel. I always have my angels guiding me. They are always around me, giving me people to help me along the way!